S60 rough guide on MOT failure

[Calens]

Hi guys,
Apologies if this is in the wrong area.

Just for your information, I am a complete idiot when it comes to cars. I can change a bulb, and add oil and that's it, so I am just looking for some very rough advice about the potential cost of two parts that have caused a failure on my 2002 S60 2.0T

The Failure report shows that my rear sway bar needs replacing. I don't even know what a sway bar is. I think it's something to do with suspension...

The other thing was a windscreen washer motor failure as it was pushing out water very weakly and therefore not working as it should.

I've been told they can supply and fit both parts, which I'm perfectly happy with. My question to you guys is what kind of cost should I be looking at?

I have looked online and can see that both parts are attainable for about £15 each, however that was on e-bay which I'm sure they're not going to use.

Realistically, with labour - could you guys give me a rough guess - and rough is fine, as to how much I'd be looking at?

Many thanks for any advice you can give me.

[Wire tim]

You could always source the parts from eBay yourself and provide the garage with them mate, there's no rules about that. Failing that, buy and fit them yourself, your talking a couple of hours work and a few bolts, no real dramas on either part even for an amateur

[100K+]

Originally Posted by Calens

The Failure report shows that my rear sway bar needs replacing.

This is a new one on me. I'm not saying anti roll bars (sway bar I think is the American term) don't go west, but its usually the short vertical "drop links" that go on a regular basis. ( Just replaced both mine for MOT on my 2004 V70)
The bushes which hold the anti roll bar in place also can fail at MOT.
To me this is a strange MOT fail.

Cheers

Bob

[greasyfingers]

Agree with Bob; it's unusual for an anti-roll bar itself to fail (I suppose it could break, somehow, or get damaged, or too rusty, maybe), but it is more likely to be the bushes that hold it in place, or the drop links that connect it to the rest of the suspension.

What's the exact wording on the fail document? There should also be a number with it - probably something like 2.4.xx or 2.6.xx - which might help point in the right direction.

As for the poorly windscreen washer - maybe it's just blocked up at the nozzles, and a bit of judicious probing with a pin might make things better.

[Calens]

Apologies for not coming back to you all sooner. Had some rubbish stuff to sort.

So, apparently the sway bar improves the stiffness of the suspension, it's not anti roll, but it's kind of like anti roll - only different. It cost £28 for parts, and an hours labour, which in total was absolutely fine. For a twelve year old car I wasn't that concerned with it.

The water issue was actually a relay in the fuse box, which cost £6. I'm okay with that one too.

Having done my own research with direction from your answers it does seem like a weird thing to go wrong, but basing the fairly cheap cost, I'm not overly concerned. I suspect the previous owner (I've only had the car for 9 months) hit something or other on the road (big bump perhaps or over zealous on curbs). Needless to say, it wasn't as horrendous as I actually thought.

I do have other questions as my fuel economy seems to have plummetted, but I'll ask that on another thread

Thanks all, and I hope the info was at least useful... a bit

[greasyfingers]

A sway bar that's not an anti-roll bar???? It's like anti-roll, only different???? Whoever your MoT tester is, he seems intent on leading you up the garden path. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sway_bar (an article that seems very happy to use the two terms interchangeably throughout).

I would guess, by the price you've paid, that you've actually had new drop links, which connect the anti-roll bar to the suspension.

Glad to hear you've got it all sorted, though.